Carriage means for road vehicles



June 24, 1947.' w, H, Ew|s 2,422,792

CARRIAGE MEANS FOR ROAD VEHICLES Original Filed Aug. 2, 1940 l 2 Sheets-*Sheet 1 New June 24, 1947. w. H. LEWISv CARRIAGE MEANS FOR ROAD VEHICLES originai Filed Aug. 2, -194o 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "naif Snuentor WH EW/.5.

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Ghorneg grading position on a roadway;

Patented June 24,1947

CARRIAGE MEANS FOR ROAD VEHICLE William Hurst Lewis, Los Angeles, Calif.

Original application August 2.

349,465. Divided and this application 4, 1941, Serial No. 413,611

9 Claims. tCl. 1580-6) My present invention relates to adjustable carriage means fory road vehicles, and to means which is particularly applicable to road building machinery.

This application is a division of application .Serial No. 349,465, filed Aug. 2, 1940, for Subgraders',

now Patent No. 2,345,612, issued April 4, 1944.

One of the principal objects of this inventionis to provide a novel carriage for road vehicles, or road building machinery, whereby the supporting wheels may be shifted about vertical axes so that the vehicles, or machinery, may be drawn or conveyed in any desired direction, that is,` in amr 1940, Serial No. October o1 Fig. 1, showing the adjustable mounting of the frame on one of the wheels: and

Fig. 'I isa' sectional view thereof, taken through l--l of Fig. 6.

One of the principal novel features of this invention isthe construction of a vehicle, and par-- ticularly a road machine, which may be drawn as effectively in either oi opposite direction on 'a roadway, which may be conveniently drawn in any angular direction with respect to its longittudinal axis, and also a. structure in which the vehicle body or machine itself may be raised or lowered with respect to the supportingwheels or angular direction to the normal course or to the longitudinal axis 'of the particular vehicle or 'machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a carriage means of this class whereby the vehicle, or machine mounted thereon, may be quickly and easily adjusted or raised with respect to the carriage, so as to permit the vehicle or machine to straddle or be raised or moved over roadside forms, or other obstructions, for readily transporting the machine from place to place.

An important object also is to provide emcient means for simultaneously raising all portions of the vehicle or machine above or with respect to the supporting carriage, or each of the supporting wheels.

With these and other objectsin View, as will appear hereinafter, I have devised a carriage means. for road vehicles; having certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions, as will be heref inafter described in detaii, and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon, which form a part of this applicattion, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a subgrader, for the construction of roads, embodying my novel carriage means, and showing the subgrader in a Fig. 2 is a :mnt elevational view thereof in position cna roadway, shown in prole;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view thereof, taken through 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional elevation, taken at I-d of Fig. 1, showing the construction-of thel deilector blades and pivoted wings. i Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation, taken ,at i-i of Fig. 1, showing the guide shoe at one side of the subgrader Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation, taken at 'B-B carriage. These several features of my invention are embodied in a road construction machine, known as a subgrader, and my invention may be 'best understood by illustrating and describing the same'in connection with such subgrader.

The frame I of my subgrader is-relatively narrow and long, and is constructed preferablyv to vspan the ordinary roadway. The roads, designated A, under construction are usually lined or bounded by side yforms of header boards, designated B in the drawings. One or both sides of the strip of the road, under construction, may be bounded by finished slabs of the road, which serve the same purpose 'as the side forms. .The'

frame is carried lat its opposite ends on wheels 2 which are adapted to rest on the side forms or nished slabs.

`The wheels 2 may be flat and rubber-bound, and they are revolubly mounted on horizontal axles 3'which exltend laterally from the lower ends of cylindrical supporting columns 4 carried The columns are rotatably supporting slides 5, the inner ends of the axles being secured to the lower ends of the sleeve portions 5. The slides 5 are provided with T-shaped portions 5d which are vertically slidable in T- channels 5 in members B, which are positioned angularly at the four corners of the Aframe I. On each supporting column 4 is secured a collar i which is seated against the upper end of the sleeve portion 5" and is provided with a radial arm 'I tor manually turning the supporting column 4 about its axis. The supporting column 4 is locked in non-rotatable relation with the sleeve portion 5' of the slide by means of a pin 8, which may extend through registering holes in the collar 'l and a lateral flange 5b at the upper end or the sleeve 5*.

The supporting columns I preferably extend above the frame Land are provided at the upper ends with means for raising or. lowering the in the drawings as a cable-lifting-or a blockand-tackle means,- which is operated by a powerv plant or motor LI I, carried on top and near one end of the frame I. On the drive shaft II of the motor is slidably-mounted a reversible.

clutch -I2 which is adapted to drive a. worm gear mechanism I3, which is also located atone side of the frame. Co-axial with the gear I3n of the worm gear mechanism is a drum I4, which may be divided, and upon which may be wound four cables I 5. Each of these cables extends preferablyaround a sheave I 6 mounted on the frame adjacent the upwardly extending portion of the column 4, around a sheave I1 at the upper end of the supporting column, around a sheave i8, carried on Athe frame I, another sheave I 9 on the upper end of the column 4, and is then secured at its end to the frame I, as indicated by I, In this manner, rotation of the drum I4 simultaneously raises the frame with respectA to all of the supporting columns 4, and by a minimum of power.

'The supporting column 4 is provided intermediate the collar l, and the upper end of the 'column with a screw 4a, on which is mounted a screwcollar 20. When the frameis raised to the desired position with respect to the supporting columns 4, the screw collars 20 are screwed upwardly until the frame rests thereon, thus holding the frame in its raised position. 'Ihese screw collars may also be screwed manually on the screws 4a for manually raisingy any desired part of the frame with respect to the respective supporting wheels, and thus relative to the header boards, upon which the wheels rest.

From the above, it is apparent that the axes of the wheels may be shifted from positions perpendicular to the longitudinal travel of the frame, to positions at right angles to their normal positions, or to any intermediate angles. These posi tions are determined by the positions of the pins 8 in the holes 5 of the ange 5b. It the axes of the wheels are located at right angles to their normal operative positions, that is, parallel to the longitudinal travel of the machine, the machine maybe drawn cross-wise. Since the fore and aft dimension of the machine is relatively narrow, the machine may be drawn easily over the ordinary highway when` the wheelsare placed as last described. By inserting the pins 8 in intermediate holes, the machine may be drawn at an acute angle to its normal direction of travel.

It will be here noted that if the subgrader is to be moved in its normal course, with the wheels 2 resting on the header boards B, this is done' by any suitable means, such as a. conventional tractor (not shown), which may be connected to the subgrader by any suitable means, as for example, by the draw bar C.

At the front and rear, that is, the long sides of the frame, are positioned grading blades 2I, which are parallel to the frame and so positioned that their outer cutting edges may be adjusted with respect to the frame to positions above and below the traction portions of the wheels, or in this instance, the upper'edges of the header boards. 'I'hese grading blades are inclined gradually upwardly and backwardlyjfrom their cutting edges. The cutting portions of the blades are indicated by 2|,

At the middle and lower portion of the frame I, and between the grading blades 2|, is a conveyor belt 22, which extends around drums 23 at thebpposite lateral ends or the frame, both of frame with respect thereto. Such means is shown I the edges of the belt.

v a series of gates 6I and 62,

one edge at the upper sides of the openings.-

the frame. I'he belt 22 has secured to the inner side of it a multiplicity ofclosely spaced carriages, consisting of transverse straps 24 having rollers 25 mounted on the ends thereof beyond Eachof the drums 23 have at its opposite ends sprockets 23L which receive the rollers I5'for moving the conveyor belt.

The portions of the upper and lower stretches of the conveyor belt, that is, the portions between the operating sprockets,` as indicated by 22 and 22, are horizontal or nat and are located between the inner edges of the grading blades. The rollers 25, at the edges of the belt, ride upon vertically spaced tracks 26 and 21 located below the inner edge portions of the grading blades. The rails at each side of the tracks are secured to and extend inwardly from vertical walls I ai; the lower portions of the frame.

The opposite ends of horizontal portion 22al of the upper stretch of the conveyorbelt 22 extend upwardly at a gradual angle, as indicated by 22, over the drums 23.

'I'he motor or engine I I is also employed to operate the conveyor belt in either direction. The shaft Ila of the engine is connected to a shaft 3| by'a reversing transmission 32. Theshaftl has a sprocket 33 which is connected, by a. chain' 34, to a sprocket 35 on the shaft 36, on which one of the drums 23 is mounted.

At the opposite ends of the frame, and at the forward and rear sides thereof, are deflector members 4|, at the lower portions of which are deector blades 42 and 43. which diverge outwardly toward the front and rear of the subgrader. These deector blades respectively have adjustable cutting edge portions i2a and 43H.

The deflector members or wings 43 are pivoted at their rear edges on and with respect to the forward edges of the members 42. Ai; the free edges of the pivoted deflector wings 43 are vertical sockets 43h, in which slide freely the shoe supports 4 4, from the lower ends of which depend dei-lector limiting shoes 45. These shoes are of angular cross-section and are adapted to be held against the upper and inner sides of the side form or header boards. The shoes are resiliently held against the inner sides of the form boards by springs 46. f

The inner edges of the deflector wings may overlap and be positioned in front of the outer edges of the deilector-walls, but there is preferably provided a vertical strip 48 of rubberbelting at the inner edge of the wing which extends backwardly over the forward portion of the deecting wall 4 I To prevent appreciable lateral movement of the subgrader, when riding upon .the header boards, I have provided guide shoes 5I which are carried by the frame and may be located between the wheels.

It will be noted that the grading blades are al1 raised above the traction portion of the wheels 2 when the subgrader is transported from place to place, but they may be lowered tol any desired position below the upper edges of the header boards, as described above.

The long sides of the frame, that is, the front and rear sides, have openings I and Id. Each oi' these openings may be closed by gates or by which are pivoted at When the subgrader is drawn in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 3, the gates 6I are raised and held in such positions, while the gates B2 are lowered against the upper portion of the grading blades at the rear of the subgrader. Either of the gates may be held in raised positions by hooks 63. Thus, material may enter the interior of the frame over the forward grading blade.

The machine may be constructed to accommodate roads of diferent widths. For this reason, the motor or engine, as well as the connected transmission mechanism for operating the con-l various vehicles for the purposes intended, and i that it is also applicable to large road construction machinery, one of which has been specicallyv described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings. described a particular construction, combination, andv arrangement of parts and portions. I do'not wish to be limited to the same, but' desire to includein the scope of my invention the construction, combination, and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a plurality of supporting wheel carriages connected on vertical axes to the frame, said carriages having supporting wheels mounted on horizontal axes, manual lever means for separately shifting said carriages about their vertical axes to predetermined angular positions, and means for positively securing the carriages in said shifted positions.

2. In a machine of the class described, a frame.'

a plurality of supporting wheel carriages upon which the frame is adjustably mounted in a vertical direction.- unitary means for raising and lowering the frame with respect to the wheel carriage, and screw-jack means for securing the frame in vertical adjusted positions with respect to each of the wheel carriages, said screw-Jack means also separately vertically adjusting the wheel carriages with respect to the frame.

3. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a plurality of slides mounted to slide vertically on the frame, a plurality of wheel carriages rotatably mounted on vertical axes on said slides, manual lever means for separately rotating the carriages about their vertical axes with respect to the slides, and lever means for locking the carriages in said shifted positions with respect to the slides.'

4. In a machine of the class described, a frame,

a plurality of slides mounted to slide vertically` with respect to the frame, a plurality of wheel carriages rotatably mounted on vertical axes on said slides, means for rotating the carriages with respect to the slides, means for locking the carriages in said shifted positions with respect to the slides, unitary means for simultaneously raising the frame with respect to all of the slides, and means for separately securing the frame in adjusted positions with respect to each of the slides, and also for separately vertically adjusting the slides with respect to the frame.

And, though I have shown and v 5. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a plurality of supporting wheel carriages connected on vertical axes to the frame, said carriages having supporting wheels mounted on horizontal axes, separate means at the upper portions of the carriages for separately shifting said carriages about their vertical axes to predetermined angular positions, and means for positively securing the carriages in said shifted positions.

6. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a plurality of supporting wheel carriages upon which the frame is adjustably mounted in a vertical. direction, vunitary means for raising' and lowering the frame with respect to the wheel carriages, and means for separately securing the frame in adjusted positions with respect to each .of the carriages, the latter means being capable also of separately vertically adjusting the carriages with respect to the frame.

7. In a machine of the class described, a frame,

a plurality of supporting wheel carriages upon which the frame is adjustably mounted in a vertical direction, means for raising and lowering .the frame with respect to the wheel carriages in such a manner that the lower portion of the frame may be supported by the wheels of the carriages either above or below the lower supporting portion. of the wheels, and other means for separately vertically adjusting each of the carriages with respect to the frame. I

8. In a machine of the class described, a frame, a plurality of slides mounted to slide vertically with respect to the frame, a plurality of wheel carriages mounted on vertical axes on said slides, said carriages having fixed upperly extending jack screws, means for separately rotating the carriages about their vertical axes with respect to the slides, means on and cooperating with the screws for raising and lowering the carriages and slides with respect to the frame, and means for locking the carriages in said angularly shifted with respect to the frame, a plurality of wheel f carriages mounted on vertical axes on said slides,

said carriages having fixed upperly extending jack screws, means for separately rotating the carriages about their vertical axes with respect to the slides, means on and cooperating with the screws for raising and lowering the carriages and slides with respect to the frame, and unitary means at the upper ends of the jack screws for simultaneously moving all of said carriages vertically with respect to said frame.

WIILIAM HURST LEWIS.

REFERENCES CITED The followingl references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

